1,100 students. 21 languages. 56 teachers. Encina Preparatory (6-12) High School serves families who come from around the world and across the street. Over one school year we explore culture, resilience, challenges and change in suburban Sacramento.

The First Person You See

Haidar Ali Moradi is the first person you see at Encina Preparatory High School. As the front desk receptionist, he uses his language skills on a daily basis to help students and families navigate phone calls, paperwork and meetings. Moradi's first language is Dari. He also speaks Pashto, English, Urdu and Hindi. Moradi says he can tell which language to greet people with by noticing the clothes that they wear. Moradi worked as a translator for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Afghanistan. He arrived in the US with his family on a Special Immigrant Visa after his life was threatened.

Multimedia Producer Andrew Nixon illustrates CapRadio’s Web content with visual journalism including still photos and videos. He works in the news and information department, and on CapRadio’s documentary program, “The View From Here.” Read Full Bio